


Instincts

by prosaicwonder



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-14
Updated: 2017-10-14
Packaged: 2019-01-17 07:46:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12360954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prosaicwonder/pseuds/prosaicwonder
Summary: In which Keith is a bad kisser and Shiro gives him a tutorial.“Shiro…” Keith swallowed, and then he took in a deep breath as he closed his eyes. It was an old habit: something Keith did whenever he was about to say something he thought he would be judged for. His eyes opened a moment later, and he shifted in Shiro’s arms until they were both looking at each other again.“Can you show me… um, the right way…?”





	Instincts

 

Considering that it was the first time he had ever been with another person in this way, it was - naturally - unsurprising that Keith had no idea what to do next.

 

He’d relied on his instincts for almost everything: whether it was on the battlefield or making important decisions regarding the team, or other things such as saving Shiro time and time again whenever the other man was in danger, because he desperately could not handle the thought of Shiro leaving him again.

 

So, of course, Keith had done the same when it came to taking things to the next step. Keith had been the one to confess first, after a particularly difficult and arduous mission when they had both been left alone in one section of the castle. He still remembers now, how his eyes had wildly searched Shiro’s as the words tumbled out; how his hands had flailed as he stuttered, trying to verbally convey so many things in so little time as if it was his only chance he had left, because who  _knew_  if Shiro was really going to be okay. Keith did not like to think about it, but Shiro had left him once, twice –  _three times_  now – and the thought of Shiro never knowing how he truly felt had torn Keith apart from the inside out.

 

Yet, somehow, Shiro had understood him – he always did – and he had laughed softly before taking Keith into his arms and confessing that he’d loved him, too.

 

Nothing much had changed afterwards, until now. It was, again, Keith’s instincts which led them to where they currently were: the two of them were in Shiro’s room, lights on, and Keith had Shiro’s back pinned against the door. As close as they were, there was always an invisible line which stood between them, and none of them wanted to cross that line even if there was no reason for them to stay back.

 

They’d never kissed before, not even in the few months they had been together, and most certainly not during the previous times they could have done…  _something_ , but it had just not been the right time for it, or Keith had been too afraid to initiate anything in fear of Shiro - his friend, his mentor, brother figure… the most important person in his _life_  – possibly rejecting him for it.

 

There were many times Keith had thought about doing it, though, yet he had refused to tell anyone, opting to suffer in silence instead. It was probably his own fault, Keith thought in dismay, since it had led up to the predicament he found himself in now. Though it had not only been his inner thoughts and desires which were to blame: for a long time, Keith had been aware of something intangible and unknown which linked him to Shiro, something near-indescribable which he had become aware of even when they had both still been on Earth. The lingering touches, soft gazes, the occasional fingers which brushed together whenever they’d be in close proximity with each other… The more it happened, the more Keith felt like he was going to lose control, and even worse so when he’d found himself separated from Shiro on more than one occasion – again and again, like a cyclic curse doomed to repeat itself until  _something_ finally happened to break the spell.

 

Keith had snapped that day, and he’d felt his hidden urges rise to the surface: calling out to him, telling him what to do. And then, after they had reached Shiro’s room, Keith had stood up on his toes, firmly planting both his hands on Shiro’s shoulders before he leaned up and kissed the other man  _hard_.

 

He had no experience, and other than wanting to do it because he had waited so long, Keith had absolutely no idea of how to initiate... this type of contact with another person. For nearly his whole life, Keith had been alone, had grown used to the emptiness and isolation until it became a part of him… Shiro was the first one who had managed to break down the walls he’d built up, had gained Keith’s trust enough for them to even become friends in the first place.

 

His movements were clumsy, all open-mouthed with teeth knocking and noses bumping into each other, and Keith had made it worse by kissing Shiro even harder, a result of years of bottled-up emotions which had laid dormant until the cork finally exploded and everything he’d kept locked away for so long was out in the open. Yet Keith persisted wildly, hungrily – as his lips moved over Shiro’s, damp wetness marking the corners of the other man’s mouth and chin as he pressed kiss after kiss against whichever spots he could find. Keith knew he was making a mess of things, that he was not keeping track of what he was even doing, because he relied on his instincts to guide him through things like this. Keith was simply not one for rationality and calculated thoughts – he _felt_  things all the time, felt them probably a little too much…

 

And then Shiro had broken the kiss, pulling back as if he’d been burned, hands moving up and fingers curling over Keith’s arms before gently pushing him away.

 

“Keith,” Shiro panted, grey eyes half-lidded and dark with unconcealed desire, but he could not give in yet – not when Keith was already unravelling in front of him. “Keith. Slow down…”

 

Keith looked up then, breath warm against Shiro’s cheek, before he shifted closer to bury his face against the crook of Shiro’s neck. His grip on the other man’s shoulders had loosened at some point, and they had slid down until his palms were flat and resting against the black fabric of Shiro’s shirt.

 

“I’m so sorry, Shiro,” said Keith, his voice coming out oddly strangled. “I am so sorry…”

 

There was no reply, but Keith felt a pair of arms circle around his back, pulling him deeper into Shiro’s warm embrace.

 

“It’s okay,” Shiro murmured, and after he felt Keith’s head lift up slightly, his Galra hand had moved until metallic fingers were playing with the edges of Keith’s hair at the base of his neck. “Hey… It’s okay, Keith. Though you should’ve told me you wanted to do this. I’m sure you didn’t want your first kiss to end up this way-”

 

“I couldn’t wait anymore,” Keith blurted out, moving away slightly so that he could look into Shiro’s eyes.  “It’s been too long… I’ve  _thought_  about this for so long. I just wanted to show you-… I just-”

 

“Shh, it’s alright,” Shiro soothed, pulling Keith in closer until he was settled in Shiro’s arms again. His hands slid up Keith’s shoulder blades before moving down his back, and Shiro pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, noting the way Keith’s shaky breaths had ghosted across his neck. “I’m sorry for not asking you.”

 

“Shiro…” Keith swallowed, and then he took in a deep breath as he closed his eyes. It was an old habit: something Keith did whenever he was about to say something he thought he would be judged for. His eyes opened a moment later, and he shifted in Shiro’s arms until their gazes had met again.

 

“Can you show me… um, the right way…?”

 

A few moments passed, which did nothing to quell Keith’s growing humiliation. Mortified, he wished that a wormhole would magically open up on the floor beneath them so that it could teleport him thousands of light years away. But at the same time, Keith didn’t want to leave Shiro’s embrace, as embarrassing as this entire ordeal was.

 

“Oh…” Shiro finally spoke, and then he broke his gaze, looking off to the side as he blushed faintly. “Well, uh… okay. Are you really sure about this, Keith?”

 

“I’m sure.”

 

Shiro did not reply then, but Keith knew that Shiro was looking back at him, grey eyes searching Keith’s frame for the telltale signs of how he truly felt in the moment. He was reckless and constantly wore his emotions like a second skin; it probably made Keith too easy to read. He felt Shiro pull away again, human arm reaching up until his fingers were under Keith’s chin, tilting it up for better access.

 

“All right. Just,” Shiro exhaled, and then he continued: “Don’t feel so rushed, okay? We’ve got time. If you’re not ready for this then we don’t have to-”

 

“I  _do_  want to! That’s why I’m doing this.” 

 

Shiro chuckled breathily, fond smile spreading across his face as he looked down at Keith. “You really haven’t kissed someone before, haven’t you?”

 

Embarrassed, Keith shook his head and buried his face further into Shiro’s shirt, hiding the growing blush which spread across his cheeks.

 

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of, Keith,” said Shiro, and the hand still keeping a hold on Keith’s chin moved, tilting his face upward again. Keith melted at the touch; everything Shiro did was just  _perfect_. He kept Keith grounded, brought out the best in him... By stars, he loved this man so much, and Keith would do just about anything for him if it meant that Shiro would be happy.

 

“It’s easier if you just take it slow… Let me know if it’s too much, okay?”

 

A few ticks passed before Keith spoke quietly: “Okay.”

 

They moved in after that, back into the same position they found themselves in after Keith’s first failed attempt, their faces inches away from each other and bodies pressed impossibly close against the door of Shiro’s room.

 

“Is this okay?” Shiro asked, just in case. His voice, as soft and gentle as it was, always sparked an odd fluttery feeling inside of Keith; it made him feel even more alive.

 

“Mm…” Keith mumbled into Shiro’s neck, tightening his hold on the man in front of him. “Just do it.”

 

“Remember what I told you,” said Shiro. “About patience?”

 

Keith nodded, and then Shiro continued: “Good. Now just tilt your head this way...”

 

Keith’s eyelids fluttered shut as they both moved in closer, and then Shiro’s lips were on his and they were finally,  _finally_  kissing. This time it was different: it had started off gentler, slower, and the initial wave of panic that Keith had felt at the moment he had pinned Shiro to the door and erratically kissed the other man had dissipated.

 

With Shiro’s guidance, Keith had somehow always known what to do, and when he felt Shiro’s tongue gently nudging at his own lips, silently asking for permission, Keith had parted them to allow him access. Shiro was careful to make sure that their teeth did not clash as he deepened the kiss; at some point Keith’s hands had slid down from Shiro’s chest until they were resting on his biceps, and he leaned into the contact, moaning quietly as he felt Shiro’s tongue slide against his own. A part of him wondered where Shiro had learned how to kiss from, and Keith could’ve sworn he felt a spark of jealousy run through him at that thought, but he had shaken it off. He had Shiro now; that was all that mattered...

 

They parted for air then, Shiro gently breaking away but not relinquishing his hold on Keith.

 

“You okay, Keith?” asked Shiro, frowning softly when he didn’t receive a response. He’d gone slow, steady... yet Keith was still a bundle of nerves beneath him, his uneven breaths and flushed expression speaking volumes even though no words had escaped Keith in that moment. Perhaps it was too much, too fast. He just hoped that Keith wouldn’t push him away.

 

Shiro brought his Galra arm up so that both his hands - one human and one metallic - were cupping each side of Keith’s face. 

 

“Take it easy. Slow breaths,” he murmured against Keith’s lips, feeling the way Keith’s long eyelashes fluttered against his own skin. “In and out… I’ve got you.”

 

“Shiro...” The way Keith had whispered his name made him freeze temporarily, and he felt a shiver run through him at the thought of Keith sounding so desperate and needy because of him. “I-… It feels…” Keith stammered, tongue-tied as he fidgeted with the hem of Shiro’s shirt. 

 

Concerned, Shiro made no move to bring them closer or pull away, opting to ask instead: “Was it too much? Too fast?”

 

He felt Keith frantically shake his head against him. “Just need to get used to this. Please… show me again.”

 

And Shiro had relented, not being able to say no to such a sweetly-spoken request, before he bent down to kiss him again. It felt as if Keith was drowning, his thoughts clouded by the feel of Shiro’s lips and hands on him, as if he was falling deeper and being pulled out of the endless ocean of everything  _Shiro_  at the same time...

 

“You know, that was my first kiss, too...” Shiro remarked after they parted again. There was a hint of a smirk on his face, but the familiar warmth in his grey eyes had still remained. 

 

Keith’s face heated up upon hearing the words: no wonder Shiro had wanted him to slow down.

 

“... But I want us to do this again, as many times as we can. I know you’ll get it.”

 

“Shiro...” Keith groaned, and he brought a hand up to hide his flushed expression only for Shiro to catch his hand and pry it away, linking their fingers together in the process.

 

“I should be asking you to do this without my help this time,” Shiro teased, “But we can always try again another day.”

 

Blushing, Keith pressed himself closer to Shiro, their intertwined hands resting between both their chests. He couldn’t wait.


End file.
